Painless
by Kagerou Fuji
Summary: Fuji is ‘Pain’ and Atobe is ‘Agony’. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other? Atobe x Fuji, Tezuka x Fuji, slight Yukimura x Fuji later chapters, super slight Fuji x Ryoma.
1. Prologue: Trustless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

I really hope you guys like this story. It's my first attempt at writing a long story. Don't you hate it when you're reading a fanfiction, and when you're done with the chapter, at the end, it says, "Give me 20 reviews and I'll update," or something like that? Yeah, I do, too, because if the person doesn't get reviews, it's not your fault, but you still want to see the rest of the story, but you can't? Well, for this fanfiction, I already have the entire thing written out, and regardless of how many reviews I get, I'll update every 3 days to a week or so, you can count on that. But don't let that discourage you. Please review! And enjoy!

**Prologue: Trustless**

Fuji sighed and trailed his finger along the delicate contours of the wooden chair he was sitting on. His period of resting was soon over. Tonight, they were going to assign him a new project. A new assignment. They, as in, the gods.

Fuji was 'Pain'. His entire life was spent causing , you guessed it, pain. Every now and then, the gods would assign him a new project, a new target that he would have to hurt. The only reason angels like him existed was because the world needed balance, between the forces of Yang and Yin. Agents who were Yang were Happiness, Contentment, and Kindness, to name a few. But the forces of Yin, like himself, were Pain, Agony, Illness, Fatigue, and so on. He would then take human form and live the life of a normal human, only to hurt the target. Today, he would be assigned again.

But today was different. This time, for the first time ever, he would be working with a partner, 'Agony'. Fuji would be meeting him in roughly twenty minutes, and he was as nervous as hell. He got up slowly, and walked over to the closet. He frowned, and walked back to the chair, sitting down. Getting up again, he walked, this time with a slightly different step, over to the closet. Seemingly content, Fuji opened to closet door gracefully. He was a perfectionist, and even his step needed to give the other man a good first impression.

The closet was filled with elegant clothes. Not quite too elaborate, nor too plain, and most of the time, everyone was envious of his clothes, even the gods of a higher rank. Fuji flicked through every shirt, and settled on a plain blue collared one, miraculously matching his eyes exactly. For bottoms, he chose black slacks, bringing out the pale, tan color of his hair. His multiple silver bracelets clacked against each other. On a normal day, they felt light, gave him energy. But not today. Today, they felt like lead weights against his wrist.

Fuji glanced wearily at the clock. He had two minutes. He hadn't known that he had spent so much time philosophizing. He jumped up and hastily dusted himself off. He sauntered out of the room, and met his escort. He followed the other man into the main lobby of his beautiful house. They stopped and waited. It was probably only a couple minutes, but it seemed like hours.

Finally, when Fuji felt like he would explode with anticipation, the front door edged open. Unwillingly, Fuji's eyes widened at the sight before him. There was a young man, not much older than himself, by the door. Alone. He had silky grey hair that stuck fashionably out to the sides slightly. The jacket he wore was loose and white, and it seemed to float around his body perfectly.

"Welcome to the Fuji home, Atobe Keigo, please let yourself in," the escort said politely. Fuji continued to stare at the beauty who called himself Atobe, only to be stared right back at.

"Hello, Atobe, it's a pleasure to meet you," Fuji managed to say. But, unfortunately, Atobe went right in for the kill. He strode over to Fuji and leaned in so that Fuji could feel his breath against his neck.

"Same to you," he whispered seductively. Fuji shivered. Atobe nibbled at Fuji's neck slightly.

"A-Atobe…" Fuji moaned.

"Keigo will be fine." He suddenly pressed his lips against the smaller boy's. Fuji felt that electric feeling flow throughout his entire body. It obviously wasn't the first kiss he had received in his lifetime, but none of them had ever felt this deep. Fuji melted into the kiss and began kissing the other man back, only to feel him pull away at the next moment. "Well, are we going or not?" Atobe asked the escort as if nothing had happened.

"Y-yes," he replied, nodding quickly. "Atobe, meet Fuji Syusuke. Real name: Pain; Code name: 7246. Fuji, meet Atobe Keigo. Real name: Agony; Code name: 24669. This is our first time trying a partnership project, and we hope our two best agents will perform this adequately, if not better."

Fuji stepped forward. "If you would be so inclined to tell, who is our target?" he asked politely.

"Ah, right," the escort said. "Your target this time will be…Tezuka Kunimitsu. Real name: None, Code name: None. He is a normal human, like usual, wears glasses, has dark brown hair, and lives in Japan. His blood type is O, and his birthday is October 7. His dominant hand is his left, and he enjoys mountain climbing, camping , fishing, and hiking. He also is very passionate in the sport of tennis. That is all the information we currently have on file for him."

"Thank you," Atobe and Fuji said, as was done routinely.

"Good luck," the escort said, and led them to the stairway between the heavens and Earth.

Another agent/angel, Illness, was watching all of this. He had seen the display of affection between Fuji and Atobe. He frowned down at the sight, remembering the head master telling them that they could not love. Rather than reporting them to him, as would be the moral thing to do, the god empathized with them, remembering his own last project.

He called for another agent, a close friend of his, Jiroh Akutagawa. "Jiroh," he said when the boy entered the room. "I have a new project for you."

The boy went from a state of nearly sleeping on his feet to a somewhat excited person. "This is totally uncalled for!"

"Yes, but this is also urgent," he said. "See those two?" He motioned toward the window, where Fuji and Atobe were walking. "I need you to check on them ever so often, and make sure they perform their operation with efficiency and effectiveness."

Jiroh bounced over two the window. "Why? Those two are our best agents!"

"I just need you to do this. I just have that type of feeling," he said. "One more thing: make sure that NEITHER of them find out that you are 'stalking' them."

Jiroh nodded eagerly and skipped to the door. "Wish me luck!" In a moment, the agent could see his friend (Real name: Fatigue, Code name: 3284483), hopping across the front lawn. The god smiled and figured he himself should check up on the boys now and then. He then sat back on his recliner and flipped his wavy, blue hair. This would be _very_ entertaining.

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So, how did you like it so far? Reviews are appreciated. Thank you!

Next Chapter: Fuji seperates from Atobe and meets Tezuka for the first time! How will things go? You'll have to wait to find out!


	2. Chapter 1: Sleepless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

I'm so glad to get so many reviews on the first day, that I'm going to update now! I'm so excited to share this story, anyway, and I really liked the idea when I thought of it! Keep reviewing! And keep enjoying, of course.

I re-posted this chapter with a better version. I hope you like it!

**Chapter 1: Sleepless**

Fuji was happy to finally be on Earth again. It would be a long journey to find 'Tezuka Kunimitsu', but it would be worth it. It thrilled him to be on such an intense search. He and Atobe had agreed to separate in hopes of finding him quicker. Atobe decided to be 'born' in Tokyo, and Fuji wanted Chiba, where he always started out on his missions in Japan. He was also always born to the same family, who also magically retained every memory of him every time they were reborn. That was probably why Yuuta always got unnecessarily annoyed at Fuji.

Atobe, on the other hand, loved risks. He chose a different city every time, and to be born to a different family every time, and no one ever remembered him. Tokyo was a great city, though, fortunately for him, and this time, he got extremely lucky. That is, if you would consider being born to one of the richest families in the region lucky.

They parted at the edge of the bridge, barely saying anything to each other. They hardly expected to see each other again, both thinking that one of them would find Tezuka, and the other would continue searching for years, to come to no avail.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Fuji grew up as a normal boy in Chiba, his hometown. There, he met a new friend, Saeki Kojiroh. They spent time together like normal people and normal friends. Saeki taught him many things that he wasn't used to about this world. He was patient and kind, and he didn't seem to mind that Fuji was confused about a lot of things and cultural references about Japan. He never asked questions about things that Fuji didn't want to talk about.

Fuji's last project in Japan took place a long time ago, in Japan's feudal era. That project in itself was a long time ago, and Fuji almost couldn't remember a single thing. He probably didn't even remember the name of his target anymore.

To Fuji, and to most angels, time, instead of a line, was more like a flat plane. Traveling through time was just like traveling to different spots on that plane. That was why angels were able to have projects that were so far back in time, but other angels could have projects that were recent, or even in the future at the same relative time. When he tried to explain it to Yuuta, though, he just shook his head and looked confused. But sometimes, Fuji would try again just to see that cute face.

He led such a normal life, though, that he nearly forgot about his project. Time passed quickly when you were being…normal, and Fuji didn't realize that he was already twelve years old, and he didn't even know where his project lived. It wasn't until dinner one day that his sister reminded him.

"Ne, Syusuke, is Saeki your new 'project'?" she asked. Fuji opened his eyes, remembering his quest, and wondered if Atobe had found Tezuka yet. He wondered even more, though, when he would see Atobe again. He abruptly put down his chopsticks and ran upstairs. Yumiko shrugged. "I'll take that as a no."

Fuji remembered that Tezuka had a passion for tennis and quickly looked him up on the JTA (Japanese Tennis Association). Hopefully, he was good enough to be in tournaments. Fuji gasped when he saw indeed how good he was. He was good enough to be in tournaments all right. Maybe even some of a different age group. He was ranked #3 on the JTA, under only two people, Yukimura Seiichi and Chitose Senri. He represented Tokyo, and was currently attending Seishun Academy as a 7th grader.

Fuji remembered that Tokyo was where Atobe lived, and Fuji was sure that by now, Atobe had definitely found Tezuka. They lived in the same city, and might even attend the same school.

Fuji decided to do a little more research. He wondered if Atobe had picked up tennis, but instead of finding him under the JTA, he found him as the heir to the famous Atobe Company. Fuji laughed wryly. He was probably a rich, spoiled brat, and completely forgot about Fuji.

Fuji nearly fell down the stairs with anxiety, but managed to regain his step at the bottom. He ran up to his sister, who was still sitting at the table. She was head of the house, because the gods thought it was too much of a hassle to create parents for Fuji that would retain every memory of him, also. Fuji announced, "We're moving to Tokyo."

Understanding, Yumiko gathered her things, and an eleven-year old Yuuta, and they fled to the capital city the next day.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

There, Fuji enrolled at Seishun Gakuen upon request, though everyone was surprised, predicting that he would join Hyotei. Fuji simply smiled at everyone who asked, not knowing that he very narrowly missed seeing a very familiar face. He didn't know that Hyotei was the most prestigious school in the district, nor did he know that everyone there was _rich_, like Atobe. 

The first night after moving to Tokyo, Fuji couldn't sleep. A thought of someone watching him kept his mind on its toes. Every time there was even the quietest noise, Fuji would be jerked awake from the slightest sleep. He would look around, and sometimes, he would even get up and walk around for a while. Fuji kept flipping his pillow over and over. He finally fell into a welcomed slumber, though it was restless. In his dream Fuji was in ninth grade, a 3rd year at Seishun Gakuen. He was talking and laughing with friends, and enjoying himself to the fullest extent. Fuji thought it was strange, because he normally never let himself feel emotion (he normally faked it), but in this dream, he could tell that he was truly smiling. Fuji couldn't see their faces, though, which was disappointing. He thought he saw a boy in a Hyotei uniform that looked strikingly like Atobe, but dismissed it.

Fuji picked up tennis very quickly, with every step coming closer to his target. Everyone treated Fuji with respect, especially after he showed them his natural talent. He quickly became popular among his peers, and was admired by many. He spent most of his time on the tennis courts, though, developing a passion for tennis rivaling that of some of his friends.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

One day, on the courts, he met his project for the first time. Fuji had been playing against his best friend, Kikumaru Eiji, when he heard the captain, Yamato, call Tezuka's name. He whipped his head around at the commotion, and missed the point. Kikumaru looked at him oddly, only to find him staring at the future captain. He snickered, and Fuji immediately turned his attention back to his friend. He could not hide the blush spreading across his face.

He had to admit, even and twelve years of age, Tezuka was stunning. His stylishly messy hair made him look only more handsome. Fuji figured he was popular, and decided to stay in the shadows for the next two weeks.

But two weeks quickly turned into two months, which quickly turned into two years. Fuji finally concluded that it wasn't his sense holding him back, he was just nervous, or embarrassed to approach him. It was almost like, Fuji thought with horror, that he had a crush on the guy! He reminded himself that he wasn't allowed to love, but the more he tried to resist it, the more he felt attracted to Tezuka. He wasn't surprised to find himself happy when Tezuka himself selected him to join the regulars. He felt himself blush whenever Tezuka touched him, or even when they got close to each other.

Before long, they were playing in their first tournament together, against Gyokurin, then Fudomine, then St. Rudolph, where Fuji's brother went. That was probably one of the most thrilling matches yet, thoroughly crushing the guy who hurt Yuuta. After the match, Fuji just smiled and shrugged. "He deserved it," he would always say.

Afterwards, Fuji was lined up to play the new kid, Ryoma Echizen, in the intra-school ranking matches, but the match was cut short due to the rain. Seigaku then played against Yamabuki, and finally against their toughest match yet, the prestigious Hyotei Gakuen. That was where Fuji would meet Atobe for the second time.

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How did you like this chapter? Please review! 

Next Chapter: Fuji meets Atobe again! And Jiroh! How will things go this time? Read to find out!


	3. Chapter 2: Breathless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

**Chapter 2: Breathless**

Again, thank you for all the nice reviews and compliments! Keep this up and I upload it even quicker. I'm still reading the chapters over and over again trying to make sure that there's nothing wrong with them. I'm also trying to lengthen them a little, adding tiny events here and there, and trying to add a little more detail. I'm shooting for every chapter to be over 1000 words, and that has been accomplished as of now, except for the Epilogue. But I'll stop talking now so you can read this chapter. It's the longest one so far, but it still may seem kind of short. I'll try to make the chapters even longer. I'm not really used to this though, since I normally write Oneshots. So please excuse my lack of chapter-splitting skills.

Anyway, please read, review, and enjoy!

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"We're playing Hyotei Gakuen next," Tezuka told Fuji when they were sitting on the roof alone for lunch. 

"I know," Fuji replied. "It was the school everyone expected me to join." He laughed. When they were alone, Fuji found that Tezuka was slightly less serious than when they were at practice. Slightly, to normal people, though, could be a lot to perceptive people like Fuji. He seemed to talk more, but he still didn't smile. Fuji's goal was to get Tezuka to smile for him. He enjoyed these moments, because he got to see the real Tezuka Kunimitsu that was behind the stoic mask.

The air turned serious again as Tezuka asked the next question. "Why didn't you?"

Fuji frowned and opened his eyes. He looked at Tezuka right in the eye, with the most intense gaze he had ever given. But Tezuka's gaze didn't falter a millimeter. Fuji sighed and replied, "I just had this feeling."

Tezuka nodded, understanding that Fuji didn't want to talk about it, and continued to eat. But the tense air remained, like a blanket of stillness draped over the two friends.

Suddenly, a gust of wind flew by, blowing Tezuka's water bottle right over, spilling the remaining water all over Tezuka's shoe and sock. Fuji laughed, lightening the atmosphere and handed Tezuka his extra napkins that had been under his knee, still chuckling. Tezuka frowned, but couldn't hold back a smile. Finally, after such a long time, Tezuka was smiling, for Fuji, and for Fuji alone. Fuji looked at his originally stoic captain now, and the sight left him breathless.

"You know, Tezuka, you should smile more often."

That Saturday, Fuji found himself riding in his sister's car heading for the tournament against Seishun's long time rival, Hyotei Gakuen. But the arrival of a new captain and the lack of a vice captain left Seishun nearly trembling. But of course, with Tezuka as the captain and Ryuuzaki-sensei as the coach, Seishun would not back down.

"We're here," Yumiko announced, bringing Fuji out of his trance.

"Thanks for the ride, sis," Fuji said as he stepped out of his car, dragging his tennis bag with him.

Yumiko squeezed his brother's hand. "Good luck," she whispered. "Be careful."

"I will, don't worry." Fuji then smiled one last time at his sister, and strolled of leisurely toward the tennis gardens.

Fuji looked around. It was a sunny day, and the shadows cast on the gardens made it look even nicer. There were numerous courts there, but there would no doubt be the most people at the Seishun/Hyotei game, considering Hyotei's tennis club's size.

He surprisingly was the first one there from Seishun, so he hung around the practice court for a while, the one with the wall at the net. He warmed up hitting the ball at the same spot, exactly 15 centimeters (roughly 6 inches) above the net, exactly in the middle, every time.

Fifteen minutes later, someone rudely disturbed his practice by waltzing right onto the court in a Hyotei uniform. Fuji was annoyed, since that had been his longest rally with the wall yet, but he wasn't the type to get mad over something as little as this. Fuji caught the ball and was about to reprimand the boy, but gasped at the sight of him, leaving him breathless for the second time that week. He walked up to him just to be sure that his eyes weren't deceiving him. Was it a dream? Or a dream that had come true?

"K-Keigo…" Fuji said and reached his hand up to touch his cheek. He smiled a rare genuine smile. "I can't believe I've found you…"

Atobe moved his hand up to cover his friend's. "I heard you go to the same school as our target," he said.

Fuji jerked his hand away. "We haven't seen each other in fifteen years, and that's all you have to say?!" he shouted.

Atobe smirked. "You want something else?" he said seductively, leaning in to nibble on Fuji's earlobe.

Fuji moaned softly. "K-Keigo, we can't…what if someone sees us…" Fuji gasped. "What if…Tezuka…?" Fuji unwillingly muttered the other's name.

This time, it was Atobe's turn to wrench away, disgusted. "And you're making out with him now?" he asked distastefully. He pivoted around on an elegant heel and stalked off.

"Keigo, wait!" Fuji shouted. But it was too late. Just as Atobe walked off the court, another Hyotei player walked on. He had sandy orange hair and a sleepy smile. Something about this boy chilled Fuji to the bone, but he couldn't figure out what it was. His demeanor was friendly enough.

"Hey, are you using this court?" he asked. Fuji shook his head.

"Not really," he replied. Turning around, he was about to chase after his friend, but the other boy stopped him.

"Oh, you're from Seigaku?" the orange haired boy said, reading the back of Fuji's jersey.

"Yes," Fuji answered.

The boy seemed to think for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to be Fuji Syusuke, would you?"

Fuji was taken aback. His mind wandered off of Atobe and focused on this strange boy. How did he know his name?! He regained his composure, and replied with a "Yes, I am."

The boy's eyes widened. "Wow! I'm actually meeting Fuji Syusuke in the flesh!" he shouted. He ran up to the surprised tensai and shook his hand eagerly. "I'm Jiroh Akutagawa, one of your biggest fans!"

A hint of confusion flickered across Fuji's face. "How would you know me? I'm not even nationally ranked. Why aren't you a fan of Tezuka or Chitose?"

Jiroh looked up at the slightly taller boy. "If you ask me, you're much more interesting!" Fuji laughed and smiled at Jiroh.

"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?"

"It depends on your mindset," Jiroh said.

They laughed and talked for a while. Fuji didn't know what scared him so much about Jiroh before, but it seemed to fade away with every friendly exchange of words.

Jiroh walked happily back to the court that they were to be playing on. He had actually met the person he had been 'stalking' for fifteen years now in real life! Mission accomplished, for him. Fuji seemed to have been surprised that Jiroh had known his name, but then Jiroh remembered that neither Fuji nor Atobe knew that they were being watched from afar.

Jiroh himself needed to come up with a plan that would help him see into Fuji's world. So he devised, in his opinion, an ingenious idea. Every time he slept, he would be able to enter Fuji's realm of consciousness, wherever Fuji was, as long has they were in the same region. Ever since Fuji moved to Tokyo, Jiroh had been having these sleeping attacks that sometimes lasted for hours on end. He confused his teammates, but he assured them that there wasn't really anything to worry about.

The reason that Jiroh would always watch Fuji for so long (or in other words, _sleep_ for so long) is that Fuji's life was interesting. Even though Jiroh had been forced to attend Hyotei to keep watch over Atobe, he rarely spent time with the captain. Jiroh wanted to see what their target, Tezuka Kunimitsu was like, and to do that, he would have to go through Fuji. So everyday, during their lunch break, Jiroh would take a nap and enter Fuji's world. They had the same lunch time, fortunately, and Fuji was always on the roof with Tezuka. Jiroh would smile at the sight. Sometimes, though, he pried a bit too far, and Fuji would collapse. He had to remind himself to take it easy on the warmer days. But when Fuji collapsed, there would always be someone there to take him to the clinic, whether it was Tezuka, Fuji's red-headed friend, or even that little kid that just moved there this year. Fuji was one lucky guy.

As hard as Jiroh tried, though, he could not figure out what Fuji was thinking. With every other person he had watched over, he could get into their thought easily, even with Atobe, but with Fuji, he hit a wall every time. He could see the memories of the past day floating around, but anything before that was enclosed in the wall. Jiroh was frustrated, but that made it all the more interesting. This time, though, it would be much easier to pry into Fuji's mind, due to their close proximity. They were pretty much in the same room, if you wanted to look at it that way. He decided to take another nap, and rested on the bench.

Fuji gripped onto the railing and clutched his forehead. He was walking down to the court that they would play Hyotei on, and he suddenly felt that feeling of someone entering his mind that he had been having ever since he moved to Tokyo.

Fuji fell to his knees, forgetting that he was in the middle of a flight of stairs. He nearly fell down, when a strong arm pulled him to his feet. Fuji turned around and looked at his savior. Tezuka Kunimitsu, as expected. Fuji smiled gratefully at his friend and stood up shakily.

"Are you alright?" Tezuka asked.

Fuji nodded and dusted himself off. "I'm fine; it's nothing to worry about. Just a little sting there for a moment."

"I can take you to the clinic, if you want. There is one here, you know," Tezuka offered, but Fuji shook his head.

"There's really no need to. I'm fine," he repeated. Fuji could sure be stubborn sometimes.

"Alright, but if you need anything, just call for me."

Fuji smiled and nodded. "Gee, Tezuka, I never knew you could be so caring."

Tezuka just turned around and continued to walk down the stairs. Fuji was sure the abrupt spin was to conceal a blush.

Atobe watched all of this from his side of the court with disgust. He had seen everything, from Fuji falling to the intimate exchange of words between Fuji and Tezuka. Fuji loved Tezuka, he was sure of it. But he wondered if Tezuka loved Fuji back. Fuji was supposed to be the one doing the hurting, but it looked like Fuji had already fallen into Tezuka's territory. He would never let Tezuka hurt Fuji in the end. Atobe wanted Fuji, and he always got what he wanted.

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This chapter was nice, neh? Please reivew

Next Chapter: Fuji plays Jiroh, and Atobe fights against Tezuka, not only on the courts, but also for Fuji's affection!


	4. Chapter 3: Bondless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

**Chapter 3: Bondless**

Thanks for all the good reviews last time, too! This really encouraged me too...upload faster? xD This chapter kind of short, so hang in there while I'm editing the next one. Thank you for reading, reviewing and enjoying, and keep it up!

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The entire time, through Inui and Kaidoh's match, through Eiji and Momo's match, and through Taka's match, Jiroh slept, and Fuji kept getting those painful stabs at his mind. He tried to keep up the wall to protect his memories, but it was failing with ever sharp jab of pain. His hair was tousled and he was sweating from the effort. He finally collapsed against the rail wall that separated the bleachers from the courts in the middle of Taka's match.

"Fuji!" Tezuka shouted. He ran over to his friend. The commotion attracted the attention of the other team, and also woke up Jiroh. He shook his head sleepily, annoyed at the distraction. He was just about to get through Fuji's mind barrier for the first time, too!

"Fujiko! What happened?" Eiji also rushed over to his best friend.

Fuji had his face buried in his hands and was shaking uncontrollably. Whoever was colliding with his barrier finally had relented, but the memory left him shaken. That had been the worst attack in his entire life, and the force seemed stronger than ever.

"Fuji, it's almost time for your match; should we forfeit and take you to the clinic?" Tezuka asked. He held out a hand to help Fuji get up.

Fuji stood up weakly, with one hand clutching the railing for support, and the other in his captain's outstretched hand. "I'm fine."

"Fujiko! You are NOT fine! You just collapsed against the railing! You're anything but fine, nya!" Kikumaru screamed.

"No, it's alright, I'll pull through. I…can survive this match. After this, you guys can take me wherever. I need to win…this match, though," Fuji said. Tezuka looked sternly at Fuji, obviously not accepting his answer. They could both be as stubborn as they wanted, and the argument probably would've continued forever if not for a new voice.

"Fuji-sempai isn't going to back down." Everyone turned and stared at the newcomer. Ryoma smirked. "Let him play through the match."

Fuji smiled gratefully at Ryoma, and Tezuka reluctantly nodded.

Once Fuji stepped onto the court, though, his mind was clear. He only had one goal, and this was to win. It was to avenge his brother, Yuuta, after losing to Jiroh in fifteen minutes. It was also for his friend, Taka, who hurt his hand so badly trying to win. And lastly but most importantly, it was for Tezuka.

With Jiroh fully awake on the other side of the court, and his two closest friends and rivals watching on each side, Fuji vowed to win. This was the first time he had felt this way, so focused on his goal. Now, the thrill of it was only an aspect, the need to win taking over.

Fuji defeated Jiroh quickly, six games to one, without even being fully serious. After the match, Ryoma, the substitute bench coach, took Fuji to the clinic for a quick check up. It felt strange having someone so much younger and shorter than him escort him somewhere. Fuji chuckled at the thought.

When they were back, Tezuka and Atobe were already into their game. Fuji was torn between which of the two to side with, until he decided against siding at all. It didn't help that his friends were talking about the said subject, though.

"Which one do you think will win, nya?" Kikumaru asked quietly, as if the earth would collapse underneath him if he spoke any louder.

"Tezuka-buchou for sure," Momo replied. He was just as quiet to preserve the tense air. "He hasn't lost a single official match yet."

"Same! I totally agree!" Kikumaru all but sang. Quietly, of course.

"Mada mada dane," Ryoma said, as expected. Fuji knew that it translated to 'Don't be so sure', though, in Ryoma-speak. Fuji smiled at Ryoma, agreeing with him, and went back to watching the game.

Atobe needed to win this match. It was to keep Hyotei from losing to Seigaku, and it was to defeat the nationally ranked Tezuka Kunimitsu. But most importantly, it was to prove at al costs that he was better than Tezuka, and to prove it in front of Fuji. That was why he was so relentless at that match. Normally, he wouldn't resort to his insight to detect _injuries_, but this time, it was completely different. Like Fuji, his need to win had completely taken over, and it didn't matter what he needed to do. He wasn't thinking sensibly when aiming for Tezuka's shoulder.

Fuji watched helplessly as Seigaku's captain fell to the ground, clutching his left shoulder. All his teammates were shouting for Tezuka and jumping on to the court to see if he was alright. Ryoma and Fuji stayed back. Fuji wanted to shout for Atobe, but the words couldn't come to his lips, and he shouted, "Tezuka!" instead, while staring right at Atobe. But Atobe wasn't looking at Fuji; he was looking straight at Tezuka. Fuji couldn't tell what kind of glint Atobe held in his eyes. He looked closely. There was definitely anger in there somewhere. But looking again, Fuji noticed another spark. Was that concern? Fuji narrowed his eyes. Did Atobe like Tezuka?

Atobe stared at Tezuka's collapsed figure. He was angry at him for playing with such an injury; did he think of him that lowly? But once he heard Fuji call out Tezuka's name, the flash of anger in his eyes quickly dissipated and was replaced be jealousy. Atobe didn't dare glance at Fuji, for his fear of finding Fuji staring at Tezuka, or fear of finding him staring at Atobe with animosity. Instead, he only continued to stare at Tezuka.

Jiroh was into Fuji's consciousness again. There were so many feelings clashing with each other this time, though, some of which Fuji didn't even know he was feeling. He found himself looking through Fuji's eyes, staring at Atobe. Atobe? Why not Tezuka? Jiroh smiled at his new discovery. He sifted through Fuji's feelings. The ones pressing against him the most were jealousy, anger, betrayal, and pain. Wait, wasn't Fuji supposed to be the once inflicting pain among Tezuka? Instead, it was Atobe inflicting pain upon Fuji, and Fuji inflicting pain on Atobe, though neither of them knew it. Knowing this, Jiroh came to several conclusions:

1. Fuji liked Atobe.

2. Atobe liked Fuji

3. Tezuka liked neither of them.

4. Atobe was jealous of Tezuka because Fuji had shouted his name instead of Atobe's.

5. Fuji was jealous of Tezuka because he had mistaken the look of jealousy in Atobe's eyes for a look of concern.

6. This was going to be a VERY difficult miscommunication to sort through.

Jiroh woke up and yawned. Oh well, as long as the gods didn't find out.

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So, how did you guys like this chapter? I'm sorry for the short-ness. Please review! 


	5. Chapter 4: Speechless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

Thanks for the good reviews and support! That's pretty much all I have to say, so read, review, and enjoy!

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**Chapter 4: Speechless**

Fuji sat on a bench in the locker room. It was two Mondays after the tournament, and Fuji was more tired than ever. Fuji hadn't expanded more energy than usual at practice, but for some reason, every day, he felt exhausted. He wondered if it was because of Tezuka's absence, or if it was because he was sick. Many times in class, he would be caught daydreaming. The teacher would call on him and he would always answer the question correctly, yet the voice somehow felt foreign to him.

Everyone else had already finished changing, and Fuji was the only one left. This was how it had been every day after the Hyotei match. Sometimes, Fuji would still be sitting there when Ryoma arrived, usually late. Then, he would get up and change quickly, and would always tell Ryoma that he had arrived late. Ryoma would give him a weird look, and then change himself. After all, geniuses were never late.

The door clicked. Someone was entering, and Fuji hadn't even started changing yet. He hastily searched through his bag for his uniform that his sister had washed for him that weekend.

"Fuji, are you okay?" It was Oishi, the substitute captain ever since Tezuka left for Germany. Fuji thought that he was a good captain, but he would be better suited for something else, like a teacher. Fuji thought that Tezuka's stern, strict way of teaching was better for something like a captain. Oishi was a bit too patient for the Seigaku tennis club.

Fuji then stood abruptly. "Oishi, will you please excuse me from practice today?"

Oishi looked shocked. He couldn't speak. Fuji had never requested anything like this before. Fuji was always the quiet one, besides some incidents with wasabi and juice. He would normally not do anything to start an argument (nor would he do anything to quell it)."Why?"

"I'm going to pay a little visit to Hyotei Gakuen," Fuji said and bolted out of the room before Oishi could change his mind.

Jiroh opened his eyes suddenly. He had been looking through Fuji's eyes and found him, instead of attending practice like usual, running out of the locker room at an amazing speed and out of the school campus. He kept on running until he arrived at the bus stop, and boarded the bus. It stopped at the gates of a very familiar school. And that was when Jiroh decided to stand up and run to the gate of his own school.

Fuji had just arrived there. He had never been to Hyotei before, but wasn't surprised by the elegance of everything. He had hardly taken a step when an excited Jiroh Akutagawa bounced up to him. "Welcome to Hyotei Gakuen, Fuji! What brings you here?"

Fuji was surprised that Jiroh was nearly waiting for him at the gates, as if he expected him to come. "I'm looking for someone," Fuji replied.

Jiroh got a little too excited for his own good, and before he realized what he was doing, he was shouting, "Atobe, someone's here for you!"

Fuji was completely taken aback this time. How did Jiroh know that Fuji had come for Atobe?

Atobe made no move in rushing when he saw who was at the gate, but it wasn't like he was before, either.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Atobe," Fuji said sweetly. Atobe winced at the use of the family name.

"What do you want with me?" Atobe asked.

"I'd like to talk with you in private," Fuji said. He looked at Jiroh, who understood and hopped away. Fuji then leaned on the wall inside the gate, and sighed. He had come to confess his love for Atobe, but he didn't think he could do it anymore. What if Atobe really did love Tezuka? And another problem that was well known to the both of them was that agents were not allowed to love. Not allowed to love each other, and most definitely not other mortals.

Originally, Fuji had thought that even if Atobe did love Tezuka, Fuji wouldn't hesitate to take Tezuka away from Atobe. But they weren't supposed to be inflicting pain on each other, and Fuji didn't want to, because he didn't love Tezuka anymore after seeing Atobe again, and he didn't want to hurt Atobe.

They stood there in comfortable silence for a while, while the wind blew and the sun shown down on them. Finally, Atobe broke the silence. "If you aren't going to say anything, I have a practice to get back to." As if on cue, the wind stopped blowing. "And don't you have a practice, too?"

Fuji sighed and looked Atobe in the eye. He had wished that they could stay like that forever, just comfortably enjoying each other's silent company, but obviously, that was impossible. "Keigo, I do have something to tell you."

Atobe raised an eyebrow at how Fuji used his given name again. "Go on."

"Keigo, I—I…" Fuji was going to say something, but the words suddenly escaped from his lips. He felt like he couldn't breathe, as if the air was flowing out of his lungs, but none was coming back in.

From lack of oxygen, Fuji fell on to his knees, and someone caught him before he hit the ground completely. The last thing he remembered seeing was Atobe's concerned face before passing out.

Jiroh lay on the club room floor, sleeping, as usual. He was really in Fuji's eyes, again, and he heard Fuji talking to Atobe. They just stood there for a while, and it was getting boring to Jiroh, until Atobe finally broke the silence. They talked for a little, until Jiroh felt Fuji tense up. He was about to say something, and Jiroh was sure that it was a love confession. Jiroh mentally cheered Fuji on, wanting him to have enough courage to break the rules for once. Jiroh remembered his last project, in which he had fallen hopelessly in love with his assignment, and had confessed, only to be instantly teleported back to the heavens. It was time for things to change.

Suddenly, Jiroh, or Fuji's field of vision went completely blank. Jiroh blinked. He tried to wake up and enter his own mind again, but couldn't. He was stuck in Fuji's mind until Fuji woke up again, or practice ended and someone shook him awake. Whichever one came first, he concluded. But he felt a realization. What if Fuji had found out about him invading his mind and trapped him there for eternity as revenge?! Jiroh was panicking all over again, when he felt someone shaking his shoulders.

"JIROH! Wake up!" he heard Gakuto's voice ringing in his ears. Jiroh opened his eyes forcefully. He sighed in relief. His secret was safe with him, and he was back in his regular body again. He was about to promise to himself never again to enter Fuji's mind, but decided against it. This life was WAY more interesting that any of the projects ever before.

Jiroh jumped up and hugged Gakuto, a way of thanking him. "It's good to be back!" he shouted. Gakuto looked at him strangely, and shook him off, speechless at this random display of affection.

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Did you like this chapter? For good news for some of you, Yukimura appears in the next chapter! Review please!  



	6. Chapter 5: Heartless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

This chapter is kind of short, so I hope you will bear with me! It's actually my shortest chapter besides the Epilogue. As I promised in the last chapter, Yukimura appears in this chapter! So read, review, and enjoy!

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**Chapter 5: Heartless**

Fuji woke up to white walls and white sheets. The only color present was the blue sky out of the white window. The brightness of the midday sun made him dizzy. He moved his hand to cover his eyes. All he remembered was being at a school that wasn't Seigaku and talking to Atobe about something. He tried hard, but couldn't seem to remember what they had been talking about. Fuji realized that he wasn't in him own home, and that he was in the hospital.

Fuji sat up, wondering how long he had been there, but felt a throbbing pain at his head. He struggled to stay sitting, but a gentle hand pushed him back onto the bed.

"Don't try to sit up to quickly," a woman, the doctor, said. "You were just suffering a minor case of oxygen deprivation due to dehydration. You should be able to get up in a couple minutes or so. This young man brought you here." She motioned to an unnoticed boy sitting at the edge of the room. Atobe, of course.

Atobe stood up suddenly. "I have to get back to practice," he said. The words seemed strained, as if he were frustrated, tired, or miserable. The doctor looked at him questioningly, as if expecting him to stay. "I'm the captain of a tennis club," he explained.

"Go ahead," Fuji said. He waved his hand a little bit, weakly. His answer was stiff also. The words were casual, but the tone certainly wasn't. "I'll see you later."

Atobe walked to the door, and then turned around again. There was an awkward silence between the two. "Be careful," he finally said. Fuji nodded.

After Atobe was out of hearing distance, the doctor asked Fuji "Is he your friend?"

Fuji almost laughed, but instead merely smiled wryly. "I guess you could call it that," he replied.

Fuji walked down the hall to the elevator. His coat felt heavy in his shoulders, and he had that annoying headache that people always got after they had been laying down too long in the middle of the day. All in all, Fuji still felt horrible.

It was evening, almost time for the sun to set. Fuji had stayed in the hospital all afternoon, half because he felt awful, and half because he just didn't feel like getting up and telling his sister what happened and why he was home late. He figured he would have to go home sometime, though, and that now would be a good time because he wasn't as dizzy anymore. He still felt exhausted even though he slept through the entire afternoon, but at least it wasn't as painful.

"Pain," Fuji heard a soft feminine voice say coming from a slightly opened door. His ears nearly perked, as if he were a cat, at the name that no one called him on Earth. Taken over by curiosity, Fuji walked toward the door and slid it open more. Icy indigo eyes stared straight at him accompanied by blue wavy hair.

"Excuse my manners, but aren't you the nationally ranked Yukimura Seiichi?" Fuji asked.

"Yes, I am." Yukimura smiled a smile rivaling Fuji's own.

"What are you doing in a hospital?"

Yukimura smiled grimly. "To make a long story short, they sent me, Illness, from the heavens to make a deal with you, and I happened to be born into a fragile body. And being Illness…you know." Fuji almost laughed, but held it back. Who knew what the captain of the defending champions in the Kantou region, Rikkaidai, could do. And Fuji didn't want to be the first one from Seigaku to find out.

"Well, what's the deal?" Fuji leaned on the wall by the doorway.

Yukimura laughed. It was a friendly, lighthearted laugh that sounded so natural. Fuji didn't know whether it was real or if Yukimura was just that talented. "Come closer, I won't bite."

Fuji still didn't trust him completely, but nevertheless walked over to the bed where Yukimura was sitting and sat beside him. Their shoulders were almost touching, and Fuji could feel Yukimura's cold breath every time he spoke. "Apparently the gods don't think you're focused on your job." Yukimura chuckled again. "Who would've thought, a person like you falling head over heels in love with a person like _Agony_." Fuji blushed. He opened his mouth to defend for Atobe, but Yukimura silenced him with a smile and a finger to Fuji's lips. He blinked. "Don't worry, I won't tell them. But anyway, in order to cause the target pain, they asked me to think of something for you.

"So, of course, I did. Something that will win for both of us."

Fuji cocked his head in curiosity. Something that would win for both of them?

"I need you to lose your match against our Singles 2 player, Kirihara in the tournament. It will cause your captain pain, and Rikkaidai will win the tournament. Come on, now, you don't _really_ care whether you lose or not, do you?"

Fuji was shocked. Why would someone like Yukimura request something so…heartless? Even Fuji wouldn't resort to that. "How do you know I will be playing in Singles 2?"

"I have my ways." Yukimura smiled again, but this time is was mysterious, almost evil, again rivaling that of Fuji's. Fuji realized that they were alike in so many ways, though he didn't exactly want to admit it. The walls seemed to be moving in, trapping Fuji so close to Yukimura. As if to worsen the affect, Yukimura scooted closer to Fuji smoothly. Fuji almost didn't notice it until they were almost touching. He opened his eyes, but Yukimura didn't seem to be the least bit surprised. Instead, Fuji was already falling into Yukimura's frosty gaze. He figured that this was what his own victims felt like, only ten times worse. He didn't understand why Yukimura was Illness if he could be so…cunning.

They sat there, mere millimeters from each other, just staring. "What if we beat you in the first three matches?" Fuji said desperately.

Yukimura laughed. "I _highly_ doubt that will happen. You know, we've been the defending champions ever since I became the captain."

Fuji frowned. He was skeptical of that happening, also. He was trapped. For sure. "Come on, Fuji, please?" Yukimura leaned closer to Fuji, if that was possible. But of course, Yukimura made it possible. Fuji didn't want to give Yukimura the feeling of victory, so he didn't scoot away, or even lean his head backwards. "It'll help both you and me." Yukimura suddenly pressed his soft lips against Fuji's. Fuji gasped, leaving an opening for the blue-haired captain. Yukimura kept kissing Fuji, who was too stunned and breath taken to struggle. "What do you say?" he whispered.

Fuji jumped up and ran out of the room immediately, his heart beating quickly.

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Did you like this chapter? Review with your opinions, please. 


	7. Chapter 6: Fearless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

Yay, I'm FINALLY done with this chapter. I don't think it turned out as good as some of my other chapters, but I hope you guys like it! It's kind of short, but not TOO short, thankfully. Please read, review, and enjoy!

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**Chapter 6: Fearless**

After a grueling training camp, it was finally time for the Rikkaidai tournament. Fuji was still agonizing about his fateful encounter with Illness, or Yukimura. He still hadn't decided whether or not to lose to Kirihara. This was for the championship of the Kantou Tournament. If they won or not, they would still be in the Nationals, but many people would be cheering for Seigaku because they were the underdogs.

He watched the first match go by. It was all a blur of movement and color, pink, brown, blue, white, yellow, green, and black. Fuji felt dazed, and he didn't even feel like trying to hold up his mind barrier. He would give it a rest for today, because he didn't feel anyone entering his mind. Whoever the person was, they weren't here right now.

"Fujiko, are you okay?" Eiji asked. Fuji looked up and saw his friend's worried face. Fuji smiled. Eiji was so caring, but in a different way than Tezuka. Tezuka's silent protection left Fuji feeling safe, and Eiji's bouncy nature always made Fuji laugh, smile, or be happy. He was a lot like Jiroh, but not sleeping all the time.

"I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about," he said. But this time, he wished that Tezuka were here to support him. Fuji wouldn't be able to tell him about the encounter with Yukimura, because Tezuka wouldn't understand how losing would help him, but just his presence made Fuji feel better.

Eiji gave him one last look, shrugged, and walked onto the court for his doubles match. Fuji wished him luck. He had to watch this match because his best friend was in it.

Unfortunately, Seigaku ended up losing both of their Doubles matches to the ruthless defending champions, Rikkaidai. Oishi was frantic about their next match, because if they lost, they would lose completely, and not only be knocked out of the tournament, but they would've been swept. Luckily, Inui pulled through in the end and they were back on track with one win.

It was Fuji's turn to step onto the court. Kirihara was indeed his opponent, not one to be taken lightly. Fuji knew that he resorted to injuring his opponents during the match. He had seen the video from Fudomine's match against Rikkaidai. Tachibana was not showing his real strength, obviously, when was why Kirihara could hurt his ankle so easily. It was a shameful way to play, but Fuji assumed that Kirihara's philosophy was just to win.

At first, Fuji didn't know whether to let him win or not. There were too many things to weigh. Not only would Seigaku lose the Championships, but Fuji's friend, Tachibana, would not be avenged for his ankle. Also, Fuji would be looked down upon by his teammates and friends. Many, if not all of them, would probably be able to tell that Fuji lost on purpose.

Fuji just then realized how deep he had followed this life and project. Most of the time, with his assignments and travels to Earth, he would live the life like a normal person, not trying to feel any emotions or feeling, only inflicting pain, whether it was physical or psychological. But this time, many things had happened in the course of fifteen years. Fuji had fallen in love with two men, even though he wasn't supposed to. He had nearly forgotten what his mission was several times, and he had collapsed the most times ever on record for an agent like him. Most importantly, he had taken up several hobbies, one of them even being a sport, just to be near the target. Yet this target was the most difficult one he had ever been assigned. Because this time, Fuji didn't _want_ to hurt him.

Suddenly, on one of Kirihara's Knuckle Serves, he faulted. Kirihara was not one to fault. He must've done it—Fuji spun around. "Tachibana, watch out!" he screamed. Tachibana looked up just as the ball hit the fence, sending him toppling back. Fuji was furious. He wouldn't let _anyone_ hurt his friends so ruthlessly. Fuji decided he would win this; he didn't care what Yukimura would say.

Fuji gripped his racquet tighter. He didn't feel his injuries anymore, and kept most of his weight on his left foot. He developed a split step with just his left foot to help him endure the match with the injury on his right knee. Fuji real strength was showing through this time, not only in tennis, but also with his determination. Tezuka would've been proud, Fuji thought grimly.

Inevitably, Fuji pulled through in the end, winning 6 to 4, with the Hakugei. Everyone around him was cheering, yet inside, he was broken. He had not inflicted pain on Tezuka, but instead, gave him a victory.

Fuji looked around and the crowds of people. St. Rudolph was there, along with his brother and that…one other guy. Fudomine had also attended, and Hyotei was also there. He locked gazes with Atobe for a split second before shifting his gaze to his sister after she was the first one to clap.

Seigaku ended up winning the championship, with three wins and two losses. The match between Ryoma and Sanada was intense. Oishi wanted to take Fuji to the hospital, and Fuji said it would be fine, but he had to watch this match, first. He probably wouldn't have missed it for the world. Ryoma came out on top, with the State of Self-Actualization, in which he used many of the moves that he had struggled through in his previous matches, including the Spot and Deep Impulse.

In the end, everyone was handed a medal. Oishi went to call Tezuka, and Fuji gathered his things and walked to Atobe. This time, he was actually going to do it.

Thankfully, Atobe was alone when Fuji reached him. "Congratulations on your win, Syusuke," Atobe said.

"Thank you," Fuji replied. They stood again in silence facing each other, staring into each other's eyes. Atobe's, Fuji noticed, weren't quite as captivating as Yukimura's, but they were still a deep blue color.

"So, what were you going to tell me that other day?" Atobe said finally. He was gazing at Fuji intensely, like if Fuji wasn't going to give him the answer this time, he'd force it out of him.

Fuji took a deep breath. He would give Atobe his answer, if he could say it himself without being forced. This was the moment of truth. Would he be able to do it? "Atobe, I—I know we're not supposed to do this, but I…I love you," Fuji gasped out.

Atobe looked a little shocked, then slightly amused at the sight of the sadistic agent having trouble confessing in front of the other agent. He decided to tease a little bit. "But what if Tezuka...no, even better, what if _Yukimura_ finds out?"

Fuji's first thought was '_Shit, he found out_'. "I'm not afraid of them," Fuji said.

Atobe smirked. "Oh, the little fearless devil? That's what I like," he said, and leaned in to capture Fuji's lips within his own.

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So, how did you like it? Review, please. 


	8. Chapter 7: Loveless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

This chapter is also kind of short, but I personally like it. Except for the Jiroh part. That got kind of screwed up. But I hope you don't think it's too bad. Please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 7: Loveless  
**

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Now, of course, we haven't forgotten about our little stalker Jiroh, right? Obviously he saw all this from afar. Jiroh, the normally happy, fun-loving person wasn't so happy anymore. It wasn't fair that Atobe and Fuji could kiss like that without almost instantly being zapped back to the heavens with their mission aborted and a long lecture about all the risks of love, like what happened to Jiroh. Jiroh had forgotten who had reported him to an agent who had reported him to a god, but he vowed that if he ever got that person for an assignment, he'd make the person die from sleep deprivation. He certainly didn't care if the gods chastised him. 

That's right, Jiroh was jealous of Atobe and Fuji. Jiroh's last project had been a disaster. He had fallen in love with a boy who was a lot like another boy he had met yesterday, Marui Bunta. They seemed to be like long lost twins, with even the same hair color. But the moment Jiroh had confessed, he realized someone had been watching him all along, and quickly reported him to the gods. And it was his job to report any mishap for _this_ project, right? So Jiroh resentfully flew up to the heavens.

"What?! They were kissing? In public! Together?!" the head goddess of the love problems, Kitka, shouted. Jiroh nodded eagerly. Her lips pursed together to form a pale line. Everyone around her could tell that she was as angry as hell, but she tried to restrain it. "Pain…and Agony…they are probably the least susceptible to emotions out of all the agents, but they end up falling in love with each other…how ironic!"

"What are you going to do to them?" one of Kitka's friends, Mayu, asked. She was more of the innocent, bouncy type, and couldn't stand Kitka's job. She couldn't stand to see people suffer or be sad, which was why she didn't have a job of her own yet. The gods had yet to find a job that fit her personality and needs.

"The thing I normally do, separate them from each other. Since Pain was the one to confess first, I'll send him back to the heavens with an aborted mission…his first one aborted, right? How disappointing. And Agony can stay with Tezuka. And we can hope nothing happens between them." Kitka seemed to be brisk when stating it, but Jiroh could tell that the answer was strained, and that she was disappointed to see the two separated. But to the normal person, she seemed like she was being very brutal.

"That's so cruel…" Mayu replied, as is reading his thoughts.

"They deserved it!" Jiroh cut in. He couldn't tolerate seeing them side with Fuji and Atobe when they were so harsh with him. It just simply wasn't fair. Maybe he was just worked up that time, and didn't bother to notice the strain in Kitka's voice when she had to punish him, but brushed aside the possibility.

"Jiroh is right, Mayu," Kitka said sadly. The tension in her voice now was completely evident.

"I'm SO lucky I don't have this job…I don't think I could handle it. What a tragic love story! These two could be in a soap opera or something!" Mayu wailed. Despite the futile attempt fro humor from Mayu, the room stayed edgily silent.

Fuji slipped into bed. He had left the window open that night, hoping it would let in some fresh air; his room had been feeling extremely stuffy lately. Despite the discomfort, Fuji was content. He had finally confessed to the love of his life, and nothing had happened to either of them. Yet. Atobe was he first person Fuji had ever loved in his life, and he was not about to lose it. He closed his eyes and decided to save it for tomorrow.

Just as he was about to go to sleep, Fuji heard a voice at the window. It was unmistakably female. "Pain," she said. Fuji sat up, eyes wide open. "You have broken the law…"

Fuji widened his eyes even further. How could they have found out?! Someone from they heavens disguised as a human must've seen them. Fuji thought for a moment and then narrowed his eyes. Jiroh. No wonder he had been able to do all those weird things, including the incident at Hyotei. He had been the one entering his mind, too. He would punish Fatigue later, after he dealt with this.

"As punishment, you will be separated from your lover…he will stay on Earth, and you will return to the heavens, therefore aborting your mission and never seeing any of these mortals again, except for Yumiko and Yuuta," the woman said. She showed her face in the window. Her hair was blonde, a pale shade of blonde, and her skin was deathly pale. Fuji recognized her as Kitka, the goddess of love affairs.

"No!" Fuji screamed. He hadn't meant to be so loud, but that just showed how much that life meant to him. He had probably woken up Yumiko and Yuuta, and he would probably hear them running to his room in a matter of seconds. But the house remained surprisingly silent.

"Unless you want your lover to go in your place…" Kitka continued.

Fuji gasped and clutched the blanket. There had to be another way. There was _always_ another way. He had seen so many of these tragic love stories in his lifetime, whether they were real or in a movie, book, or play, and Fuji simply sifted through all of them for a good answer. With his super-quick mindset, acquired from living all these years, Fuji thought of a plan. He never thought he would have to resort to the love stories for an answer to his own problems. He didn't think he would grow up to love anything or anyone at all, actually. The plan was risky, but it was the only chance he had. "I mean, not that…I just want one last thing before I go."

"The gods said not to…" Fuji opened his cerulean eyes and looked the woman straight in the eye in a way that no one could resist. She sighed. "What is it?"

Fuji was pleased at his ability to convince, but he dared not smile. "Please, the target; please let him witness it," Fuji requested desperately. The room was quiet with tension, and Fuji wondered if she was going to accept his request or not. But he didn't really wonder, though, because Fuji Syusuke almost _always_ got his way. Especially when talking people into things.

The woman sighed, but in the end, she gave in to Fuji. Perfect. As predicted, and as expected from the genius. "You better not let the gods know about this," she said and glared at Fuji.

Fuji smiled gratefully at her. "A promise is a promise, Kitka-san."

Kitka lightened up and smiled back. "A secret for a secret, and life for a life." Kitka seemed to know Fuji's plan, and she sided with him. She wasn't a bad person, but angels tend to think of her as one, since her job was so cruel. Fuji empathized with her, since his job wasn't exactly pleasant as well. But they needed him to balance the forces of Yin and Yang. And everyone has heard of too much of a good thing.

Thus, the next day, the Seigaku tennis team was off on a short trip to Germany.

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Did you like this chapter? Please review! 

Next chapter: Seigaku arrives in Germany, and for some reason, Atobe has the instinct/urge to go as well. Ryoma comes in (sort of) next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8: Helpless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings:** Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

Did you like the last chapter? This chapter is kind of cool, too. As I said before, Ryoma comes in in this chapter. So please read, review, and enjoy!

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**Chapter 8: Helpless **

Yukimura stared out the window of his room. His surgery had been a success, but his team hadn't won the tournament, and it had been partially Fuji's fault. But he wasn't about to do anything to the poor tensai. He would've probably done the same thing if he had been in his place, anyway. The tensai was now on the plane to visit his target for one last time. For an angel, it was like being on death row. And Yukimura sympathized with him. After all, the same thing had happened to him with his last target. It seemed like almost every angel was a victim of love, and Fuji and Atobe certainly could not escape it, not matter how proficient they were.

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Fuji slammed down the shade on the airplane. He was seated at the back of the plane, next to a sleeping Ryoma Echizen. The rest of the team was scattered across the plane, since it was pretty big. The flight was long, around ten hours and Fuji wondered if Ryoma was going to sleep the entire way there. Of course, the team had decided to seat the two _shortest_ people together. Not that Fuji was complaining; he was quite fond of the tiny first year. Only in a matter of hours, he would be gone.

Fuji began to shiver uncontrollably. He wasn't cold; it was a type of shiver that people got when they were nervous or scared. He buried his head in his hands, trying to stop trembling, in fear of waking Echizen.

"Fu—Fuji-sempai." Too late. Fuji didn't show his face. "Fuji-sempai, what's wrong?" Still, Fuji didn't look up. Suddenly, skinny arms embraced him. Fuji stopped quivering. Echizen's arms stayed wrapped around him. Fuji looked up and smiled a teary smile.

"Ryoma, please don't forget me…" Fuji said, hugging the younger boy back. Ryoma probably didn't have any idea what his sempai was talking about, but Fuji didn't stop talking. "Don't forget about me once I'm gone. I don't want to leave you, but I have no choice…"

"Fuji-sempai, you make it sound like you're going to die or something," Echizen said. Fuji laughed wryly, and it was almost inaudible. He seemed so innocent, so clueless. It was cute to see Ryoma like that. If only he knew. Fuji wondered what Ryoma would think if he knew what his sempai was talking about. They stayed like that for the rest of the plane ride.

"I'm glad you came, everyone," Tezuka said as he welcomed them off of the bus. Fuji looked at Tezuka and smiled as their eyes met. It would probably be the last true smile he would give Tezuka.

"Hello, Tezuka," Fuji said. "Can I speak with you in private for a little while?"

"Sure," Tezuka replied. They walked over to the porch of the rehabilitation center. It was a sunny day, in Germany. The wind was blowing gently, perfectly accompanying the sun. The pair stood like that for a while, simple standing there staring into the city. There was a comfortable silence, not at all awkward or stiff, and all Fuji could hear was the whistling of the birds and the rustle of the leaves on the deciduous trees surrounding them.

Tezuka was the first to break the silence, with his stoic, serious way. "What do you want to talk about?"

Fuji walked up to Tezuka and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him fiercely and catching Tezuka off guard. Tezuka patted Fuji's back, though he had no idea what was the cause of this sudden display of affection. He felt that Fuji needed him, he didn't feel like he was being very helpful, just standing there. Tezuka wasn't good at this…comforting stuff. Fuji didn't seem to mind, though. "Goodbye, Tezuka," he whispered. "My stay on this world is over."

"What is this all about, Fuji?" Tezuka asked. Fuji reluctantly pulled away.

"It's time," he said. The wind blew strongly, rather suddenly, and Fuji floated a little off of the ground. He cleared his mind and felt peaceful; the same feeling people get when they know that it's there time to leave Earth. He closed his eyes and embraced the warm air.

"Fuji!" Tezuka shouted. Fuji stayed in the exact position, not flinching a millimeter at the sound of his name being called. "Fuji!"

"What's all the—Fuji-sempai!" Ryoma said as he walked on to the porch. Fuji's eyes snapped open at the new voice. He saw Ryoma, looking shocked, and completely astonished at the sight of his sempai. The peaceful mask flowed over Fuji's face again.

"You promised not to forget me, Ryoma," Fuji said quietly. "Please, keep your promise." The whole porch seemed to start spinning, though in reality, it wasn't. Tezuka and Ryoma, though, could barely keep on their own feet. They clutched the railing for balance, but the ground wouldn't stop shaking.

The goddess of the love affairs, Kitka appeared again. She was dressed in black cloth, the color of the midnight sky. Fuji could almost see the stars on it. It contrasted with her pale blonde hair, and Fuji didn't think it fit her caring nature. He knew she didn't like the job she had, but he also knew that she didn't have a choice; the gods had chosen it for her because they thought that she would be the only one capable of handling something to tear-jerking. "To make a long story short, Fuji Syusuke is an angel. He has broken one of the most important angel laws, not to love," she explained briefly. "Therefore, he must return to the heavens."

Tezuka looked shocked. "F—Fuji, were you…in love with me?"

Fuji laughed, rather sardonically. "It was someone else…" He looked off into the direction of Japan.

"Syusuke!" A shout. Fuji opened his eyes and whipped his head around again. A familiar face was there, surrounded by shining silver hair. Was Fuji again in a dream?

"Keigo!" Fuji called back. He could barely be heard over the roaring wind that had suddenly appeared. It was a miracle that Tezuka and Ryoma managed to stay standing. They were nearly blown off their feet. Atobe, without thinking, flew over to Fuji.

"You too?!" Tezuka shouted. But Fuji and Atobe were obviously not listening to him. Ryoma remained silent, still shocked.

"What's happening?" Atobe asked.

"I kissed you…I broke an angel law, and I have to be separated from you, therefore returning to the heavens," Fuji stated simply, though the answer was strained. The wind was still blowing terribly hard, and it didn't look like it would quiet down anytime soon. It was swirling around only one thing, Fuji.

The sky unexpectedly turned bright, almost blending in with the clouds. The wind grew louder, nearly deafening the five of them, and the sky was only getting brighter, the brightest around Fuji. Finally, it was so bright that none of them could see anything around them.

It happened all at once. Atobe, Tezuka, and Ryoma watched helplessly as Fuji seemed to disintegrate along with Kitka. The light and wind went along with them, and everything turned back to its normal, silent way. But instead of the peaceful comfortable silence that was there before, it was a still, stuffy silence. Atobe, Tezuka, and Ryoma felt like they were trapped in a world of nothingness, though there were clearly trees and other living things around them. Fuji blew his last kiss to all three of them, and he disappeared. Completely. "Please don't forget me…"

A cry of "Fuji!", "Fuji-sempai!", and "Syusuke!" could be heard throughout the rehabilitation center. It had been the most painful thing that the three of them had witnessed in their lives. Including Tezuka.

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Yukimura Seiichi whipped the curtains shut. He fell onto his bed and held his head in his hands. He had been staying inside his room for the past ten hours, not leaving it until Fuji Syusuke had left for the heavens. And he hand finally left. Yukimura disappeared in a blue flame and followed him.

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Jiroh Akutagawa smiled. His mission was accomplished, and he felt good. But something kept nudging his heart. Was it a feeling of…guilt? Jiroh's smile quickly faded into a frown. He would no doubt be receiving harsh treatment from Fuji for the rest of his life. And if you know Fuji, harsh can mean _REALLY HARSH_.

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Did you like it? State your opinion in your reviews please! 

Next chapter: Find out what happens to Fuji, Yukimura, Jiroh, and the humans!


	10. Chapter 9: Hopeless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

Thanks for sticking with me all this time, my loyal readers and reviewers! This isn't the last chapter, but we're almost there! So hang in there! Just to tell you guys now, this is a long chapter, being over 2000 words! A big accomplishment for me, and my longest chapter yet! And, as usual, please read, review, and enjoy!

**Chapter 9: Hopeless**

Fuji stared and smiled at his camera blankly. It was hopeless. He couldn't get them off of his mind. Their last words, their last smiles, Atobe, Tezuka, and Ryoma. He looked at the picture he had secretly snapped of Atobe while he was playing Tezuka. The next picture was of Tezuka in that same match, so intense. After that was the picture of Seigaku when they went mountain climbing before Tezuka went to Germany. And finally, there was a picture of Ryoma sleeping on the plane. 

"You're missing a picture," a feminine voice said at the door. Fuji looked up.

"Welcome, Yukimura, what brings you here?" Fuji asked politely.

"As I said, you're missing a picture." Yukimura searched through his bag and brought out a picture and handed it to Fuji.

Fuji looked at it, eyes widening in shock. It was of them, on the hospital bed, with Yukimura's lips against Fuji's. "Did you take this?"

"Of course." Yukimura smiled. He got up and ruffled Fuji's hair lovingly. "Don't let Atobe see it."

Fuji shook his head quickly. He wasn't used to being treated like a little brother; he was normally the one doing the treating. No matter how much anyone tried to comfort him, life just wasn't worth living, since Fuji had found love.

-----------------------

It had been two days without Fuji, and already Atobe felt broken. He had nothing in this life, none of his friends. Jiroh had been absent for the past two days, also. He wasn't one to normally feel anything for anyone, but now he felt a mix of emotions. He felt love and longing for Fuji, but also anger at him for confessing and leaving him. But at the back of his mind, Atobe knew that if Fuji hadn't gone, Atobe would've had to.

-----------------------

Tezuka stared at his answering machine, as if expecting it to beep. Somehow, he had conjured up the idea that if he stared at it long enough, he'd get a call from Fuji like he did every other night. Only it wasn't working. Tezuka sighed and fell back on his bed. He was really gone. A feeling of emptiness overwhelmed Tezuka. He excused himself from his training that day.

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Ryoma twitched. And twitched. And twitched. Finally, he gave up and put the picture down. The picture framed in a simple blue frame was of him and Fuji at the park one day. Somehow, they had coincidentally met each other there, and Fuji had somehow managed to snap the picture. Ryoma's eyes were wide open, and there was strawberry ice cream all over his lips. Fuji was chuckling and had his arm around Ryoma. Moments like that would never happen again.

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"NYA! Where are Fujiko and O-chibi?!" Kikumaru shouted. Practice was _extremely_ boring without the tensai and the first year.

"Quiet down, Eiji, I'm sure they're not feeling well or something," Oishi said. He was a bit worried, too, though since he hadn't gotten a call from Tezuka for the past two days. Had something happened to the three of them…?

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Two days later, someone knocked on Fuji's door. Fuji opened it slightly. "Yukimura, what are you doing here…again?" he asked.

Yukimura chuckled affectionately. Fuji was so cute. So adorably CUTE! He seemed so skeptical of everything Yukimura did and said. But he shrugged. It didn't really matter to him, since he knew that he deserved it. "I came here because Kitka and Mayu sent me here. They were looking for you."

Fuji looked up. He was doubtful. "…Really?"

Yukimura almost laughed out loud. As expected. And with perfect timing, too. Fuji seemed like he was reading the blue haired boy's thoughts. Instead, he merely smiled and rolled his eyes. "Yes, really, am I _that_ unbelievable?"

Fuji laughed, his mood changing. He felt safe around Yukimura, almost like a brotherly bond between them. They were so similar, personality wise, anyway. "Sometimes." Which was why Fuji was absolutely sure Yukimura hadn't been the one to report him.

Fuji followed Yukimura out of his own house to the town square, where Kitka and Mayu were eagerly waiting for them.

"Hurry up! The gods are waiting for you!" Mayu said loudly. She reminded Fuji of his friend, Kikumaru.

"Calm down, Mayu. We don't know whether or not their news will be good or not," Kitka said. She was a lot like Oishi. Fuji nearly slapped himself. Since when did he relate the gods to his friend on Earth? He was just getting pulled deeper and deeper into this life. Or what it used to be, anyway.

As they walked along, Fuji could hear Mayu's chatter ahead of them. "But the quicker we get there, the quicker I get to meet the head goddesses! I've been looking forward to this for my entire life...!"

Fuji could understand her anxiety. If he weren't in such trouble right now, he would be feeling the same way, but not quite as..._loudly_. It was every angel, agent, and god/goddess's dream to meet the head goddesses. And Fuji had a sick feeling in his stomach right now.

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"Ah, you're finally here, Pain," the head goddess, Mikaya, said. Truly, Fuji had never seen her face before, or any part of her for that matter, but had only heard rumors about her. Her hair was a pale blue color, nearly the same color that the light had been when Fuji disappeared from Earth. But Fuji didn't want to think about that right now. Instead, he focused his attention back on Mikaya. Her dress was long, white, and flowing and it was modestly covering her entire body. Her skin was pale also; even paler than Fuji's own. Around her waist was a blue silk ribbon, slightly darker than her hair. She was also wearing ribbons in her hair, tying it back loosely. Those were the only accessories she was wearing. But it looked good on her.

Fuji bowed, as did Yukimura, Kitka, and Mayu. No matter what rank they were, they were no match for Mikaya. "What did Mikaya request to see me for?" Fuji asked.

Mikaya smiled kindly down at Fuji. "I wanted you to see this." She snapped her fingers and the wall behind her lit up. A familiar face was projected clearly onto the wall. Fuji opened his eyes.

"T—Tezuka?!" he nearly shouted. The difference was that Tezuka looked like he hadn't slept or eaten properly for days. He was staring at the photo album Fuji had given him before he had left for Germany.

"That is him now. This was him when you left him a week ago." She snapped again and a picture of a healthy, handsome Tezuka was projected onto the screen. "Look at the difference."

Fuji shivered. "Why are you showing me this? Is this to make me remember him and feel bad? Is this part of the punishment?!" Fuji did shout this time. Angrily.

"No, nothing like that," Mikaya replied. "Look, Ryoma hasn't attended school for the past week, and neither has Agony. Tezuka has excused himself from his rehabilitation for the past week, also."

Fuji winced. He hadn't known that they would be affected this much. But he felt a little bit of pride, from the fact that everyone had loved him so much. At least they had.

"I'm saying that this is the most painful thing that you have ever caused, or been involved in." Mikaya stepped down from her throne. Her co-head goddess, Midna (all due respect to Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess), stepped into the room.

She was completely different from her co-head goddess. Her hair was wavy and it only reached her shoulders. It was a dark blue shade, much like one of Fuji's friends, Oshitari's hair. It was streaked with black and glitter. Her sleeveless top only reached slightly below her chest, and her skirt was extremely low cut. They were also black and had sequins and rhinestones along their edges. Her skin was definitely darker, and her wrists and ankles were lined with bands and bangles. Only Midna could pull of something so elaborate and not look like a complete idiot.

"We've been talking a bit in the past week. We all know that this level of pain is unheard of; none of our agents has ever caused this much pain before," Midna explained. "It's absolutely insane."

She looked at Mikaya who looked back at her. The nodded, with Mikaya agreeing. "Even though you've been Pain only for the past couple of hundreds of years, even before you, way back, I've never seen anything like it."

Fuji narrowed his eyes. "And I'm supposed to be proud of this...this...accomplishment? What do I have to congratulate myself for? What is there to take pride in?! The fact that I'm separated from my friends for eternity? The fact that their suffering is seemingly 'worse than any you've ever seen'?" he snapped. He knew he shouldn't be talking to the two head goddesses this way, but it was just his nature; to really care about something he believed in, and to always find a distinct line between right and wrong.

Midna and Mikaya laughed together. "Not exactly," Mikaya said. "We're just saying that you might not want to be so snappy, because I think you're going to be happy about what we have to say next."

Fuji's temper simmered down slightly, and was replaced be curiosity. What could he possibly be happy about now?

"You see, we thought that because you were in love with Agony, you wouldn't be focused at all on your goal and target. But we were wrong. Deathly wrong. Apparently, all your effort to love Agony has come to this: you causing Tezuka so much pain that it's unbearable to even watch him," Mikaya said. "Look at him." She flicked the picture of him now back on the board. "He's an athletic boy, wonderful at tennis, and he has so much ahead of him, so much...potential."

"And he's such a handsome boy, too," Midna added.

Mikaya turned off the screen so that they wouldn't have to look at it. "And you just go and change his life so drastically like that, at first even meeting him, but now leaving him. You obviously didn't plan this turn of events, but that quick thought at the last moment in your bedroom was absolutely ingenious. You are not only a prodigy at tennis, but at being who you are, too."

Midna continued off of Mikaya's last words. "Consider this as a test. And you've passed."

Fuji was almost dieing of anxiety. He managed to control himself, and in an even tone, he asked, "So what are you trying to say?"

Together, Mikaya and Midna answered, "We're saying that we're going to allow you to return to Earth."

Fuji almost couldn't believe his ears. His eyes obviously shot right open, and he fell back. Turning his head around, Fuji looked at Yukimura, who was smiling at him. That meant that Yukimura could return, too, and so would Jiroh, to watch after the two. Or three, including Yukimura.

"We're also going to abolish the rule that agents can't love. In replacement, we're going to say that they are allowed to love, as long as they don't get off task. And if they do, Mayu can take care of that."

Mayu's eyes widened in astonishment. "I finally get a job?!"

Mikaya chuckled, and Kitka patted her friend's back. "Congratulations, Mayu," Kitka said. "It might be a big responsibility, but--"

"I can totally handle it!" Mayu finished. They all laughed.

Fuji jumped up and hugged a surprised Yukimura. Then, he walked over and hugged Jiroh briefly. The boy had really done nothing wrong to begin with. Jiroh was happy to be forgiven by Fuji. After all, if he hadn't been, who knows what kind of havoc Fuji could've caused.

Midna interrupted their moment of joy. "We will be departing tomorrow morning."

"Thank you so much!" Fuji exclaimed. The three of them (Fuji, Yukimura, and Jiroh) turned to exit the room, talking to each other excitedly.

But quietly, Mikaya added, "Just hope that nothing happens to Agony, Tezuka, or Ryoma until then." She was sure that Fuji couldn't hear her, though.

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Next chapter is coming soon! Please review! 

Next chapter: What's going to happen to Fuji when he gets back on Earth? Or more pertinently, what's going to happen to Tezuka?


	11. Chapter 10: Dreamless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

This is the last real chapter, sadly. _**There is an epilogue, though!**_ So please don't stop reading after this! I had fun writing it, and I hoped you all had fun reading it! Thank you for sticking with this fiction! And please read, review, and enjoy.

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**Chapter 10: Dreamless**

For some reason, Atobe felt compelled to go to Germany. Without Fuji there to keep him in line, Atobe did whatever his instincts told him to. And this time, it was going to Germany. Atobe called for a private jet, even though it was 11:30 at night. But Atobe still always got whatever he wanted.

That night, Atobe dreamed of the said tensai. Atobe was standing in a cold, snowy forest. It was dark, extremely dark, and Atobe couldn't see anything. He found that he had a thin jacket, a scarf, and a hat. The scarf was Fuji's, the one with the cacti printed all over it. Fuji carried that scarf to every mission he ever was assigned, so that Yuuta and Yumiko would be able to recognize him. But Atobe felt that there was another hidden reason behind the scarf. He had no idea why he had it, but he felt the strongest need to return it right then. Only he had no idea where he, or Fuji for that matter, was.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew the scarf right out of Atobe's hands. He tried to jump and catch it, but for some reason, he couldn't. So he stood there frozen in place as he watched pale, fragile hands capture the scarf. Atobe looked at the owner of the hands. It was Fuji. He was surrounded by a gentle, blue light. "Thank you for my scarf back, Keigo," Fuji was saying. Atobe was thrilled to see Fuji again and tried to embrace him. But when his hand touched Fuji's shirt, Fuji suddenly disappeared, and again Atobe was shrouded in darkness.

Atobe woke up then. His need to go to Germany was stronger than ever. He ordered the pilot to go faster.

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Tezuka had started his rehabilitation again that day. He had finally accepted the fact the Fuji was gone. He hadn't called his teammates, fearing that they would ask him about Fuji; what would he tell them then? He couldn't explain the situation to them, because he didn't even get it himself. But they didn't call him either, which was a relief.

But even while he was training in the harsh summer heat, he couldn't get his mind off of Fuji. His smile, his words, nor the way the wind would blow his hair. Suddenly, Tezuka felt his mind clog up. It felt like when he was swimming, and he had stayed under water too long. Or when he was mountain climbing and he breathed too deeply too quickly. Except he had to take those two, add them together, and multiply them by ten, and that's what it _really_ felt like.

He felt like he couldn't breathe or think, and he fell to his knees. His physical therapist, Hannah Essenheimer, rushed to his side. Tezuka felt a throbbing pain in his head, and finally gave in and blacked out. The last thing he heard was Hannah's voice shouting in German, "We need an ambulance right now! This is an emergency!"

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The first thing Atobe planned to do was visit Tezuka. He couldn't explain the need to travel to Germany, but to see Tezuka would be a good enough reason for him. He got off the bus, but was not greeted be Tezuka obviously, but rather another familiar face.

"Echizen?" Atobe said.

"Atobe-san?" Ryoma said back, just as shocked. "What are you doing here?"

Atobe nearly turned blue. "Why don't you tell me?"

"I came here to see Buchou," Ryoma replied brusquely.

"Ah, same here." Atobe was relieved that his voice did not quiver to give away his lie.

Echizen, though he didn't want to admit it, was also lying. For some unknown reason, he had felt a need to come to Germany that very day. Normally, Ryoma would've ignored it, but this time, the need was so strong, Ryoma had to obey. The only person that could ever get him to feel something like that was--Ryoma's thoughts were cut off by Atobe's voice.

Atobe walked up to a person who looked like they worked there. "Excuse me, but may I ask where Kunimitsu Tezuka is?" he asked, in almost perfect German. He barely remembered to put the given name first.

The person's face literally turned white. "Kunimitsu is in the hospital. He collapsed today during training."

This time, it was Atobe's turn to turn white (Ah, Atobe is colorful today...). Had this been the reason why he had felt so compelled to come to Germany? He ordered the first taxi he saw and it rushed him and Ryoma to the nearest hospital. He knew it had something to do with Fuji. Or what Fuji used to be.

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Tezuka opened his eyes. He felt the worst pain in his head, but he still willed himself to sit up. He was alone in the hospital bed. He couldn't seem to remember why he was in the hospital. All he could recall was that the sun was beating down harshly on him, and the temperature was far above normal that day.

He suddenly heard a knock that blurred his vision. His ears were extremely sensitive at this time. Someone was still knocking at the door. He wanted to just shout at them, but he knew that that would give him a worse headache and he already had. That was the only thing, though, that stopped him from just exploding right then and there.

Tezuka barely had the strength to get up, but he managed to somehow, because he was just amazing like that. He walked to the door, and was surprised to find not a nurse, but rather Atobe and Ryoma. Why the hell were they in Germany?

"Echizen, Atobe," he greeted them. They nodded in response. Voicing his thought in a more curt manner, he asked, "Why are you here?"

"We just wanted to see how you were doing," Atobe replied. Tezuka nodded, which again nearly gave him even worse of a headache, if that was possible. They just stood there, staring at each other for a while. It was an awkward silence, considering the intensity of the last event that the three of them had experienced together.

Atobe's eyes suddenly widened. Ryoma's followed. They looked like they had seen a ghost, and they pretty much had. Neither of them were the type to become so shocked so unexpectedly, so it must be something important, Tezuka concluded. Even with a little dizziness, Tezuka still had one of the sharpest minds in Tenipuri. He turned around. It took Tezuka a little while to comprehend what was happening. A pale, blue light shimmered in his room. It became stronger and stronger, to the point that they felt like they should be blinded. But there wasn't pain in the light, nor was their a stinging feeling in either of their eyes. It was just light.

A familiar figure started to appear before them. First, the cerulean eyes shone like the ocean, and then the light brown hair appeared. The room was silent as the three watched their angel become visible. It seemed like the tensai had come back from the dead.

Ryoma was the first to speak. "Fuji-sempai…?" he whispered, barely audible. He almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Fuji smiled. The smile was completely genuine. He felt that whenever he smiled now, it would be genuine, since now he knew that he shouldn't take the feeling for granted. He had materialized completely in the room. It had only been a week, but Fuji realized that he had missed his friends like it had been a century. That was how involved he was getting into this life. But this time, he didn't regret it. He welcomed it. He welcomed what it felt like to finally be free to have feeling again.

"Yes, Ryoma-kun?" Fuji replied. He smiled sweetly, like he always had before. It was good to be home again. And yes, Fuji did consider this home. It wasn't the place that he considered home (because Fuji couldn't be in the heavens or Japan at the same time), it was the people around him and the feelings he felt for them. To Fuji, this was already heaven. He felt like he had died and been reborn into a perfect life, with the perfect people.

Ryoma ran up to him and hugged him fiercely. His arms fit right into Fuji's waist, and the familiar smell of the tensai enveloped Ryoma. He had already experienced the pain of watching a loved one 'die' right in front of his eyes, and he didn't need to see it again. He clutched on to his sempai like the world would end if he let go.

Atobe walked up next. "Is this a dream?" Atobe stroked Fuji's hair, half expecting him to disappear right in front of his eyes again like in the horrible nightmare he had experienced that past night. "Syusuke…I was just dreaming about you last night…it was—" Atobe was cut off but Fuji's finger. He had managed to release his right arm from Ryoma's death grip.

"You will dream no more of me, because the dream will always be true," Fuji said, still smiling. The words were said to Atobe, but they were directed at all of them. Atobe then hugged Fuji tightly, and Tezuka joined in. It was then that they all realized how much they cared for each other and how important they were to each other. It was through this painful phenomenon that they had learned, the hard way, not to take any feeling, emotion, or most importantly, person, for granted.

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Done! But _**there is an epilogue**_!!!!! So please stick with this fiction for one more chapter! And don't forget to review! 

Next chapter: Epilogue! The _real_ end of the story!


	12. Epilogue: Endless

**Painless**

**Summary:** Fuji is 'Pain' and Atobe is 'Agony'. Their target is Tezuka Kunimitsu. But will their love for him get in the way? Or is it love for each other?

**Warnings:** Shounen-ai

**Pairings: **Atobe/Fuji, Tezuka/Fuji, slight Yuki/Fuji, _super_ slight Fuji/Ryoma

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis is not mine.

Yay, the epilogue is finally here! This is the _real_ end of the story. I hope you guys have enjoyed it, and thanks the most to all my faithful reviewers! I'm so glad you guys (and all my readers but not reviewers) have stuck with this story! It's my first multi-chapter one, and I hope it wasn't too bad. Thanks again, and please read, review, and enjoy!

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**Epilogue: Endless**

Fuji smiled as he watched the little kids play in the park. The wind blew comfortably, and all was back to normal again. The blue sky was so bright today, and the birds chirping were anything but annoying. The smell of daisies in the summertime was so sweet. Daisies were his favorite flower, anyway, since they were so pure, innocent, and clean.

He was sitting on a hill that was too far away for any of the kids to spot him. He had been on Earth again for three weeks since the incident. Back in the heavens, he found out (courtesy of Jiroh) that he and Atobe had become legends relatively quickly. They were known all throughout the heavens (it wasn't like they weren't already pretty famous, though) as 'The Two Angel Lovers' that broke the rules to be with each other. Fuji was sure that it would be a legend that would be passed down from generation to generation.

He thought about his relationship with his four closest boy friends who had gotten him into loads of trouble, but had also been there all the time to support him and help him gain his life back.

First, he thought of Yukimura. To Fuji, Yukimura was an older brother who liked to flirt and tease. He was funny, cute, and good looking. He was also protective, and would probably go frantic if anything happened to Fuji. Fuji felt safe when he was around him, and proud to be so close to him.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was Fuji's younger sister. Or should he say younger brother. Fuji thought he was just simply adorable, and Fuji loved to tease him and play around. In terms of tennis, though, Fuji thought of Ryoma as _nearly_ his equal. Fuji smiled. Nearly. They had yet to finish that game, though, and they promised to, if they ever got the chance. But Fuji knew that the chance would come, because he would make it come. Ryoma was one of the most thrilling opponents.

Tezuka, Fuji thought, was like another older brother, but a different kind. He was protective, in a quite type of way. Fuji also loved to tease Tezuka, just for the heck of it, and loved him dearly. They would both go hysterical if anything happened to either of them. Fuji was also proud to be close to the stoic captain. He also yearned to play another game with him, and continue to, until one day, maybe, just maybe, Fuji would win.

And finally, Fuji thought of Atobe. Atobe was like a husband to Fuji, and he was such a flirt. Atobe played around with Fuji, even in public, but Fuji didn't mind. He knew that Fuji was the only person Atobe would ever love, and he was glad. Even during those occasional moments when Atobe would tease Tezuka, Fuji didn't get jealous, he just found that absolutely amusing.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Atobe walked up behind Fuji. He gave him a little peck on the lips. Speak, or think, of the devil, Fuji thought.

"Just thinking a little bit."

Atobe looked at Fuji quizzically. "You sure have been thinking a lot these past few weeks. Is there something going on that I should know about? With the angels?"

Fuji laughed and shook his head. "No, nothing of the sort. I was just thinking and enjoying the perfect weather."

"Perfect weather indeed." Atobe and Fuji turned toward the new voice. "I'd have to agree with Fuji. The perfect time to just sit outside and clear your mind." It was Yukimura, Fuji's near counterpart. Fuji smiled at Yukimura and Atobe frowned.

"But Fuji was_ thinking_, not really clearing his mind, neh?" Atobe said. They (Atobe and Yukimura) turned toward each other.

"Yes, but thinking could also be clearing one's mind, because one is thinking about all the things that they had still to think about, and now they have nothing left. So it's also clearing one's mind."

"But your mind isn't really clear when you're thinking, right?"

"I never said that one's mind had to be clear, I was talking about the _process_ of clearing one's mind."

Fuji looked from person to person. They were always at each other's throats for some reason. Always...Fuji wouldn't exactly call it fighting, but nor would it be a playful banter. More like an argument or dispute. So they were always arguing with each other, though Fuji couldn't understand why, since he almost never argued with Atobe, and Fuji and Yukimura were so similar.

The unknown reason was simple, in Atobe's mind. It was that Fuji spent a great deal of time with Yukimura. Atobe couldn't understand his need to dislike Yukimura so, since Fuji also spent a lot of time with Tezuka, Ryoma, and Kikumaru, but they just didn't really bother him as much as the captain of Rikkaidai did. Maybe it was just because he didn't trust Yukimura as much.

Soon, Tezuka was with the threesome, accompanied by Ryoma. They were slightly out of breath.

Fuji noticed this and decided to take advantage of it. "Neh, Tezuka, did you run all the way here just to see me?" he all but purred. He looked at Tezuka and smiled a smile that was a mix of an evil, deceitful smile, and a lighthearted, cute smile.

The only way Tezuka could conceal his blush was the fact that he indeed had been running, and his face was red, but not for the reason that Fuji had mentioned. Well, Tezuka had to admit, that was partially the reason. But he shook his head anyway.

"Then what were you doing?" The moment Fuji asked the question, he mentally slapped himself.

"Tennis," all five of them said, laughing. Tezuka and Ryoma were just like that. When they were playing tennis, they were completely oblivious to the world around them, and their own limits, so they might push themselves past them. Fuji knew this because Atobe was exactly the same way. He didn't find that the case with Yukimura, though, since he pretty much didn't have limits. That was why whenever Fuji had the chance, he would always wish them good luck with their matches and tell them to be careful. Behind his sadistic demeanor, he was also caring. That is, if you deserved his caring-ness.

Fuji wished that moments like these could last forever, but he wouldn't be as disappointed once they were over, since he knew they would come again. Again and again, the five of them met, coincidentally, at the strangest of places. But they seemed to be able to see right through each other, and there were no secrets between them. That was why they would stay so close for the rest of their lives, for highschool, college, and even after that. But Fuji was living in the present right now, and that was the way things should be.

Fuji reminded himself that his entire life with the tennis players was just like a game, and Fuji wished the game would never end. But he knew he shouldn't take any moment for granted, since at any time, he could be whisked away again. To a different world, time period, or life. But again, Fuji knew he was thinking too much about the things that could happen in the future, and it wasn't what he should be worried about. He had learned from all his past lives that humans thought way too much about the disasters of the future that they didn't really enjoy the life that they were so marvelously living currently. And Fuji didn't want to succumb to that. Not now, not ever. And he constantly reminded his friends not to, either.

Fuji also knew that humans were tiny, fragile beings, and at any moment, their lives and everything they lived for could just snap. He had gone through that, and so had his friends. Once, and not ever again. So, to him, humans had to be treated with the utmost care and gentleness, yet he also knew that they could be scolded, chided, and teased without even flinching. They were hard to understand, Fuji mused, but that just made things all the more interesting. He enjoyed testing humans' limits, and seeing how far they could push themselves, not only in tennis, but in other aspects of life. Thus, Fuji's strong sadistic record appeared. But it was only to understand human beings more, so there was nothing wrong with it, right? Or that was Fuji's philosophy, anyway.

Fuji had learned so many things throughout the years and lifetimes, but this one had been by far the most thrilling of them all. It was something Fuji would most definitely not forget, and something that he did not want to get go of. But he knew that he would have to leave some time, and at that time, he knew that he wouldn't just drop this life and move on. Oh no, it was something that would stick to him forever.

But he still had a ways to go, as Ryoma would put it, and the journey there, compared to what would happen then, would be painless.

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Finally, the end. The real end. Thank you for reading, and please review! 


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